Heavyweight boxing

TYSON FURY has hit back after Oleksandr Usyk’s “pathetic” callout and responded: “I’m coming for you.” The pair of unbeaten champions are in talks for a historic undisputed title decider this year.
Tyson Fury has hit back after Oleksandr Usyk’s ‘pathetic’ calloutCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Oleksandr Usyk calling Tyson Fury out online
But no deal has yet been agreed, much to the frustration of Usyk, who called Fury “belly” and tweeted: “Where are you?”
It did not take long for a response, as Fury replied: “Usyk, calling out the Gypsy King with your pathetic little callouts, dosser.
“Rabbit, I’m coming for you rabbit. You’re getting it rabbit. And I’ll tell you what else, I’m going to bust you up real bad you little middleweight.
“I’m going to slap you into a big pile of tattoos, sucker.”
READ MORE IN BOXING
Never in heavyweight history have all four belts been contested for.
And such is the magnitude of of the title unification, the Middle East have emerged as frontrunners to offer millions to host.
But Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum warned attention will switch to London if the lucrative deal is not tabled.
Arum told BoxingScene: “Everybody agreed that if [Saudi Arabia’s] offer comes through and it’s real, that’s how we’ll go.
Most read in Boxing
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
“If not, we’ll do the fight at Wembley.”
Usyk, 36, beat Anthony Joshua, 33, twice to win and retain the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.
And he travelled to Tottenham in December to watch Fury, 34, defend his WBC belt against Derek Chisora, 38, in ten one-sided rounds.
He filled out almost 60,000 seats, taking his ticket sales to over 150,000 in 2022 after knocking out Dillian Whyte, 34, at Wembley last April.
And Arum argues if the super-fight against Usyk is taken to England, Fury should be rewarded for his box office appeal.
He said: “The fighters have agreed to fight.
I’m going to bust you up real bad you little middleweight. I’m going to slap you into a big pile of tattoos, sucker.Tyson Fury to Oleksandr Usyk
“I spoke to Frank Warren. We’re giving them until [this] week to come with their offer, which I believe we’ll get.
“If we don’t, then we’re gonna do the fight at Wembley. And then we’d have to talk about the percentages because Usyk wants 50-50.
“That’s not right if the fight’s at Wembley because there will be 95,000 Brits at the fight and big Brit pay-per-view money, so Tyson deserves the lion’s share.
“But we don’t get to that point if the [investors in Saudi Arabia] come through, because the way they operate is they make deals with each of the fighters.
“We’ve been led to believe that they’re going to come with a proposal [this] week.
“I’ll believe it when I see it, but it’s not like they haven’t come through in the past.”
Read More on The Sun
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk squaring up in DecemberCredit: Reuters More

ROY JONES JR has backed Anthony Joshua to become “dangerous” again after linking up with coach Derrick James. Joshua is set to announce trainer of the year candidate James as his new cornerman ahead of his scheduled boxing return in April.
Anthony Joshua training in TexasCredit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua
Roy Jones Jr pictured with Chris Eubank JrCredit: Instagram / @chriseubankjr
The Texan mastermind has led Errol Spence Jr, 32, to unified welterweight titles and Jermell Charlo, 32, to undisputed light-middleweight glory.
And boxing legend Jones, 54, believes it is the kind of form that can steer Joshua, 33, back to his brutal best.
He told Vegas Insider: “Derrick James is a great trainer, he’s doing great things with Errol Spence, he’s achieving more than people ever thought he would, so I think James will be a great trainer, that’s why I told him if the chemistry is good he should stick with it.
“I think James is the right man for the job and can help Joshua with his confidence and his game.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“The way that Spence fights with the pressure, I think he will be a great teacher for Joshua because he does need to learn how to apply the pressure, he’s most dangerous when he applies that pressure.
“That’s why I think it will be the right fit. If I knew he was considering James in the beginning I would have told him straight away James will be a good fit.”
Joshua split with Rob McCracken after his first loss to Oleksandr Usyk, 36, in September 2021.
And he hired American Robert Garcia for the Saudi Arabia rematch 11 months later.
Most read in Boxing
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
But again AJ was beaten and forced to go back to the drawing board, which meant Garcia was also let go.
Jones, who currently coaches Chris Eubank Jr, 33, offered his services, but never heard back.
He said: “We had had a couple of conversations about him coming to Brighton to trial me with, to see if we had any chemistry but we did not get to that stage, he did not come to Brighton. 
“He went to the United States and met with Derrick James first before we had a chance to get together.
“I feel if you have the chemistry and the right connection there’s no point in going back and forth, trying out different trainers.
“I texted him a message as I heard he’d been in America with James and just said maybe it’s good to stick with James if there’s chemistry as I do not want to make it harder for you to make a decision, going back and forth. 
“He did not get back to me but I wish him all the best.”
Errol Spence Jr with his coach Derrick JamesCredit: Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions More

TYSON FURY could receive a lion’s share fee if his fight with Oleksandr Usyk lands at Wembley and not in Saudi Arabia. The pair of unbeaten champions are in talks for the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification bout.
Tyson Fury with his US promoter Bob ArumCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Oleksandr Usyk is in talks to fight Tyson FuryCredit: EPA
And the Middle East emerged as a frontrunner to host with Saudi bosses ready to throw vast sums at the undisputed decider.
But Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum warned attention will switch to London if the lucrative deal is not tabled.
Arum told BoxingScene: “Everybody agreed that if [Saudi Arabia’s] offer comes through and it’s real, that’s how we’ll go.
“If not, we’ll do the fight at Wembley.”
READ MORE IN BOXING
Usyk, 36, beat Anthony Joshua, 33, twice to win and retain the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.
And he travelled to Tottenham in December to watch Fury, 34, defend his WBC belt against Derek Chisora, 38, in ten one-sided rounds.
He filled out almost 60,000 seats, taking his ticket sales to over 150,000 in 2022 after knocking out Dillian Whyte, 34, at Wembley last April.
And Arum argues if the super-fight against Usyk is taken to England, Fury should be rewarded for his box office appeal.
Most read in Boxing
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
He said: “The fighters have agreed to fight.
“I spoke to Frank Warren. We’re giving them until [this] week to come with their offer, which I believe we’ll get.
“If we don’t, then we’re gonna do the fight at Wembley. And then we’d have to talk about the percentages because Usyk wants 50-50.
“That’s not right if the fight’s at Wembley because there will be 95,000 Brits at the fight and big Brit pay-per-view money, so Tyson deserves the lion’s share.
“But we don’t get to that point if the [investors in Saudi Arabia] come through, because the way they operate is they make deals with each of the fighters.
“We’ve been led to believe that they’re going to come with a proposal [this] week.
“I’ll believe it when I see it, but it’s not like they haven’t come through in the past.”
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk squaring up in DecemberCredit: REUTERS More

OLEKSANDR USYK has been warned Tyson Fury has got “everything” he’s got “and a little bit more” ahead of their historic showdown.The undefeated heavyweights are on course to throw down in a blockbuster undisputed title fight in March, although a venue for the bout has not yet been finalised.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are on course to throw down in MarchCredit: REUTERS
Slick southpaw Usyk is viewed by many to be the toughest test of Furys careerCredit: GETTY
But British boxing legend Ricky Hatton believes The Gypsy King has the beating of the UkrainianCredit: REX
Boxing fans are purring at the prospect of the two most-skilled and elusive heavyweights of the last twenty years duking it out.
Many believe the footwork and set-ups of former undisputed cruiserweight king Usyk will pose the biggest test of Fury’s career, although British boxing great Ricky Hatton believes The Gypsy King is adequately equipped to take out the Ukrainian.
He told Mega Casino: “You know, you can’t dismiss Usyk, you know Olympic gold medalist, cruiserweight world champion, heavyweight world champion, you know what I mean?
“And I don’t want to write him off, I can’t write him off because obviously he is so talented and he might just have the style to beat Tyson.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“Personally, I don’t think so. I think Tyson is just so versatile and so much better in every area.
“He can fight southpaw, he can fight orthodox, he can stand tall, he can fight at close quarters, do you know what I mean?
“He has a wonderful defense, he has hand speed, he switches hits.
He’s got speed and movement and boxing ability. He’s everything.
Most read in Boxing
“He’s got everything Usyk has got and maybe a little bit more, and he’s bigger and he’s taller and he’s got the reach.”
Fury’s notable height and reach advantages over Uysk have Hatton seeing no other outcome than the Brit having his hand raised.
The Hitman continued: “For that reason, it’s very hard to see anything other than a Tyson win.”
That being said, he’s refusing to rule out slick southpaw Usyk handing Fury the first loss of his professional career.
He said: “But I think all of us, if you turn around— If you put your hand on your heart and said, ‘Usyk’s got no chance’, I don’t think we could say he’s got no chance, but you’d have to favour Tyson, wouldn’t you?”
Fury and Usyk went face to face with one another last December following the latter’s lopsided beatdown of Derek Chisora in their Tottenham trilogy.
And the WBC king has sensationally claimed he’ll have an easier night at the office at than his Tottenham trilogy with Del Boy.
He told iFL TV: “I don’t think it is a tough fight. I don’t think it’s nowhere near as tough as old Del Boy.”
“He will not stand up to those punches that Derek did against me.” More